The present invention relates to disposable cat litter boxes and, particularly, to a simplified construction for such boxes which enables the box to be formed with conventional box blanks and with conventional box making equipment.
In the past, disposable cat litter boxes have been produced in various configurations, each requiring special tooling designed for the particular box configuration. Examples of such constructions are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,792,082; 4,788,935; 4,782,788; 4,776,300; 4,711,198; 4,441,451; 4,548,160; 4,541,360; 4,501,226; 4,348,982; 4,305,544; 4,164,314; 4,014,292; and 3,886,901.
It is also known in the disposable cat litter box field to provide boxes which are collapsible from configurations, as evidenced by several of the above cited patents. In other words, it is known to provide a disposable cat litter box which contains fresh litter and which is supplied in a collapsed (or low profile) configuration, and which is expandable to an "in use" or operative configuration. The box may then be collapsed after use to its original configuration and disposed of as appropriate, so that the pet owner need not come into contact with the litter material and animal waste.
None of these boxes, however, provide the benefits of simplicity and low cost to the extent realized by the present invention.
It is therefore the principal objective of this invention to provide a simplified, low-cost, collapsible and disposable cat litter box, utilizing standard box blanks and box forming equipment.
In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a cat litter box is provided which comprises a box bottom and removable lid which is adapted to fit telescopically over the box bottom. The box bottom is formed with relatively rigid side and end walls and a relatively rigid bottom wall. Extending from each side wall and end wall is a flap portion foldable between a substantially upright positions where the latter effectively forms an extension of the respective side or end wall, and a collapsed position where the flap portion extends substantially horizontally, i.e., perpendicular to the respective side or end walls. Collectively, the flap portions enable the box to be transformed from a relatively flat or "low profile" box, to a volumetrically expanded box of a size sufficient to permit entry and exit of small to medium size pets such as cats. More specifically, the flap portions are dimensioned to increase the height of the box of a factor of about four. To facilitate entry and exit by a pet such as a cat, a die cut opening is provided in one of the end walls.
One end wall flap portion is provided with a die-cut opening to allow ingress and egress of the cat, and a side wall flap portion is provided with a finger pull tab which facilitates unfolding of the side wall flap portion.
A single-piece blank (preferably corrugated cardboard) of standardized construction, but adjusted to achieve the desired side wall and end wall dimensions, is employed to form the box bottom.
The removable, full telescopic lid is similar to the lower box bottom, absent the flap portions. Thus, the removable lid is also provided with relatively rigid side walls, end walls and top wall, with the side and end walls depending from the periphery of the top wall in a conventional manner. In accordance with this invention, the removable lid is designed for use with the box in both the collapsed and expanded configurations. Here again, a single conventional blank is employed in the construction of the removable lid.
In an exemplary embodiment, the side and end walls of the removable lid are sized so that, in the collapsed position, both the removable lid and the box bottom will rest on the floor or other supporting surface, thereby creating a double column effect for stacking strength.
Thus, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, the disposable cat litter box comprises a bottom portion for carrying litter material including a relatively rigid lower portion having a bottom wall, a pair of upstanding side walls and a pair of upstanding end walls; and a foldable upper portion including a flap portion foldable between collapsed and extended positions attached to each of the side walls and end walls; and a removable, relatively rigid lid dimensioned to fit on the box with the flap portions in either said collapsed or extended positions.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a two-piece cat litter box comprising a box bottom lower portion including a first pair of relatively rigid side walls, a first pair of relatively rigid end walls and a bottom wall, and a box bottom upper portion comprising foldable flap portions integrally hinged to each of the pair of relatively rigid side walls and the pair of relatively rigid end walls; the box bottom formed from a single elongated blank having a first set of three parallel lines defining four panels, each of which forms one of the two pair of end walls and side walls, one of the foldable flap portions, and a portion of the bottom wall, and wherein one of the foldable flap portions is provided with a die cut opening for permitting a cat to enter and exit the box.
It will be appreciated that the box construction of this invention may be used for other purposes as well. Thus, in accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a box construction comprising a bottom portion including a relatively rigid lower portion having a bottom wall, a pair of upstanding side walls and a pair of upstanding end walls; and a foldable upper portion including a flap portion foldable between collapsed and extended positions attached to each of the side walls and end walls; and a removable, relatively rigid lid dimensioned to fit on the bottom portion with the flap portions in either the collapsed or extended positions.
It will be appreciated that the box of this invention has several advantages in each of its production, distribution and end use stages. For example, the standard box bottom has no restricted openings, making it easy to fill with litter or other material. The box is easily closed up without the need for any specially designed equipment, assuming its low profile configuration for ease of shipment, storage and merchandising. Once the box has been purchased, the box is easily re-configured to its end-use or functional configuration, and easily collapsed after use for disposal. It is significant that during the end use stage, the user has only minimal exposure to the litter or other material and need not, at any time, come into direct contact with such material.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.